by Kris Bradley
A hush fell over the audience as Dr. Young, the play’s director, walked onto the stage. She introduced the play and, after giving a brief summary, exited stage right. “Kyrie Eleison,” a soft, sweet classical song, started the play. It was beautifully sang from behind stage as the curtains opened to reveal Dr. Livingstone, a psychiatrist in charge of a case, sitting in her office. After inhaling deeply from her (unlit) cigarette, she begins a soliloquy that helps the audience better understand the setting of the play.
A troubled young nun, Sister Agnes, had been discovered in the convent, covered in blood with a dead newborn baby in a wastepaper basket. The police were called, and the case for the twenty-one-year-old girl’s sanity began. As the play progresses, we slowly discover many new and interesting details, most of which make it more difficult for Dr. Livingstone to determine whether Agnes is of “sound mind” or not. The Mother Superior of Agnes’ convent, Mother Miriam, campaigns for Agnes’ innocence and faith in God.
Mother Miriam has difficulty believing in the science of psychiatry due to her strong religious beliefs, and Dr. Livingstone struggles to diagnose Agnes fairly, without ignoring the young girls’ beliefs. Dr. Livingstone is caught in the midst of this battle, attempting to diagnose this seemingly quiet and innocent young girl. While Dr. Livingstone fights to rouse Agnes’ memory, she discovers many deep, dark secrets of the girls’ past. With the new information, she goes to Mother Miriam, who seems reluctant to speak of what she knows of Agnes’ past.
Finally, the truth is revealed while Agnes is in a hypnotic state during a session with Dr. Livingstone. The play ends with an epilogue from Dr. Livingstone stating the outcome of the case and how it affected her personally. The audience is left questioning if the diagnosis was right because of how Dr. Livingstone questions herself. This leads the audience to believe that there is more to the case than what was discussed, or that Dr. Livingstone doubts her own ability to diagnose people with strong religious beliefs, such as Agnes.
The history of religious beliefs has been surrounded with questions of mental illness, due to the hysterical and hallucinogenic quality of the visions seen by prophets, saints and such. There are many cases of seemingly psychologically ill behavior in the name of religion, due to the state of the people proclaiming their beliefs. An example of this is a religious fervor stating that a god has spoken to them. While this is a normal act in the Bible, there are other factors to consider when checking the accuracy of the statements made. A person with a history of drug or alcohol use might claim to “hear from God,” but did they? There is a fine line between psychological illness or strain and religion, and this play elaborates on that thin line.